Typically, installation of a sunroof on a vehicle body requires moving the vehicle body to a sunroof mounting station, e.g., by a conveyor system. Upon arrival of the vehicle body, a worker manually retrieves the sunroof assembly from a pallet and, after positioning it on a sunroof mounting loader, manually moves the sunroof mounting loader and sunroof to a mounting position on the vehicle body.
Subsequently, the sunroof mounting loader lifts the sunroof to a working height and the worker manually installs the sunroof assembly on the vehicle. When installation of the sunroof assembly is complete the worker lowers the sunroof mounting loader and manually returns the sunroof mounting loader to its original position.
Typically, a vehicle body that arrives at the sunroof mounting station has longitudinal and/or transverse deviations from a predetermined standard position. In addition, when the sunroof mounting loader is moved toward the vehicle it also has such deviations from a predetermined position. Therefore, when the position of the vehicle body is excessively deviated from its target position the sunroof loader does not properly align the sunroof with the vehicle body and it becomes difficult for the worker to install the sunroof. Furthermore, the sunroof assembly is often a heavy object which further increases the difficulty in manual installation of the assembly.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of the understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement of any form or suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.